Fifth-generation 2018 Hyundai Accent is official in Canada

The Canadian International Auto Show has reached the milestone of having its first world premiere in the form of the all-new 2018 Hyundai Accent.

While the CIAS is a tradition show since its inception in the mid-70’s, it is only now the Toronto exposition has become exciting enough to host a world premiere – courtesy of South Korean automaker Hyundai. The fifth-generation Accent sedan, which should become globally available starting with the third quarter of the year is better in every respect than its predecessor. It’s bigger, faster and also safer – being the first in its segment to come with automatic emergency braking. The 2018 evolution is now wider and longer, has a bigger wheelbase yet it’s 10 millimeters shorter for better looks and aerodynamics. Naturally, the interior is also larger, with additional cargo space.

The new Accent subcompact though uses the same oldish 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine in North America, linked to a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Power has even gone down a notch – from 137 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque for the outgoing model to 132 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque. But Hyundai tells us acceleration from 25-50 miles per hour and 50-75 mph has actually been improved by 0.2 and 1.3 seconds, respectively. For the first time in the segment the Accent has Autonomous Emergency Braking. Additional equipment – depending on market and trim – includes five- or seven-inch color TFT LCD instrument display (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), proximity key with push-button start, and rear-view camera with dynamic guidance.